College Life | Global Immersion | College Prep
Northwestern University in Qatar
Education City, Qatar +974 4454 5100
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Discover a variety of course opportunities for high school students this summer with Northwestern Qatar. Our Summer pre-college programs invite you to immerse yourself in rigorous online or in-person course work and experience a unique global college culture led by Northwestern Qatar faculty and graduates. Upon completion of the course, students will earn a certificate of participation as well as an unforgettable experience.
Instructor: Spencer Striker, Professor in Residence
Date: June 28 - July 2, 2026
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. (Qatar Time)
Location: Virtual via Zoom (link to be shared upon admission and enrolment in program)
Description: This one-week intensive course offers students a fast-paced first look at creative coding for games, apps, and interactive websites, without requiring a technical background. Using accessible browser-based tools and AI assistants, students will learn how to turn ideas into interactive digital experiences through prompting, iteration, and design thinking. The course introduces coding as a creative language and focuses on core concepts such as interaction, feedback, user flow, motion, and visual hierarchy. By the end of the week, students will build a working interactive prototype they can include in a portfolio for university applications.
Requirements / Materials Needed: Students should have access to a reliable modern laptop with internet access. No prior coding experience is required. Depending on final setup, I may ask students to create free accounts on one or more widely used vibe coding platforms, such as Replit, Bolt, Lovable, or Cursor.
Program fee: QR 500
Application deadline: June 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Qatar time)
Date: August 2 - August 13, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (Break from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) (Qatar Time)
Location: In-person at the NU-Q Campus in Education City, Doha, Qatar
Description: This two-week pre-college program is designed to introduce high school students to both majors offered at NU-Q—Communication and Journalism. Through a two classes a day format students will explore hands-on learning experiences taught by our esteemed faculty, with access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. The program provides students with a clear understanding of what each major entails, while offering a glimpse into what an education at NU-Q looks like. By the end of the program, students will have completed projects in both Journalism and Communication that they can include in their portfolios for university applications.
Program fee: QR 1500
Application deadline: June 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. (Qatar time)
Instructor: Sarah Kaskas, Assistant Professor in Residence
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. (Qatar Time)
Description: This hands-on filmmaking bootcamp introduces students to the essentials of transforming a story into a finished scene. Participants develop a short script, practice the fundamentals of camera work, sound, directing, and acting, then collaborate as a team to bring their project to life on set. The course concludes with a guided introduction to basic editing, giving students an overview of the practical skills needed in creative filmmaking.
By the end of the program, students will have a finished script and filmed scene suitable for inclusion in a university application portfolio.
Instructor: Eddy Borges-Rey, Associate Professor in Residence
Time: 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. (Qatar Time)
Description: This hands-on course immerses students in the daily rhythms of a contemporary newsroom, equipping them with the skills to report for online platforms and social media audiences. Working individually on a news package for an online news outlet, students will learn the foundations of news reporting from the ground up, identifying stories of public interest, researching and constructing narratives grounded in evidence, conducting interviews with news subjects, and developing the editorial judgement that distinguishes journalism from other forms of online content. Alongside these reporting fundamentals, students will build practical competencies in visual storytelling, learning how images, video, and graphics carry argumentative weight in digital environments. Students will also learn fact-checking and verification by working through the standards and routines that protect both audiences and reporters in an information ecosystem saturated with misinformation.
By the end of the course, students will have produced a complete, publication- ready news package video and gained a working understanding of what it means to report responsibly for online and social media audiences.